Mophie's popular battery cases for the iPhone have been a case in point, with some owners delaying their smartphone upgrades until the battery-extending case became available.

The delay is more to do with Apple's new Lightning connector than the new iPhone 5 size and shape, but finally the iPhone 5 Mophie battery case is here - or nearly here...

Mophie has announced pre-sale availability of its juice pack helium, what it claims is "the first and only certified battery case on the market for the iPhone 5".

Pre-orders (£59.95) are expected to ship for a release date of February 19.

Apple annoyed many long-time iPhone users when it swapped the old dock connector for the smaller Lightning connector on the iPhone 5, and later the iPad range. Accessory makers were caught out, and had to wait for Lightning supplies to reach third parties. This delayed the more sophisticated iPhone accessory makers but we are now seeing increased availability.

Mophie claims that the Helium is its thinnest, lightest juice pack ever, packing 80 percent more battery life into an ultra-thin profile and delivering edge-to-edge protection for the iPhone 5.

Mophie claims that users will benefit from up to six additional hours of talk time, 30 additional hours of audio playback, seven additional hours of video playback or seven hours of WiFi internet use (six hours with 3G and LTE).

There's a simple toggle switch for charging, LED power indicator, and forward-facing speaker ports for enhanced.

The Juice Pack Helium is available in a metallic gunmetal soft touch finish with a soft interior cushion for full device protection.

"While other brands were busy publishing renderings and making handmade prototypes for CES, we were dialing in production and preparing for market," said Ross Howe, vice president of marketing at Mophie.

The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.

My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.

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